July 2016
Spring is all about new beginnings so now is an excellent time to give your child’s bedroom a new lease of life.
Child’s bedroom in the Strathaven show home at Pentland Reach, Biggar
Whether it’s just a lick of paint or a full renovation, decorating a child’s bedroom, or playroom, is fantastic because you can really use your imagination to create a space that will hopefully fire up theirs.
Start with a strong colour palette, as young children respond instinctively to primary colours, but don’t limit yourself to just a few shades.
Neons, pastels or even white will work equally well, so long as there is lots of texture and things to play with!
If you’re handy with a paintbrush, designing an image or scene with your child and recreating it on their wall can be a rewarding experience. But if you aren’t feeling very artistic, a stick-on mural will work just as well.
When you’re on the lookout for furniture, the first place to start is a good robust bed. Young people do most of their growing at night and they are as prone to aches and pains as adults if their bed is old and sagging.
Today’s children’s beds are more than comfortable – and they’re knockout in the style stakes. Encourage their imagination with a fun, but practical, take on the traditional bedframe. Pieces like the Jools Bed from Barker and Stonehouse are great because they double up as a perfect, ready-made play den – ideal if they have little friends over to stay.
Savvy storage is also key. For instance, a toy box may be an absolute necessity when they’re tiny, but can usefully be re-purposed as a blanket chest or shoe store as they get older. A dressing table and stool may do double-duty as a quiet place to complete homework, and bookshelves are also ideal for toy storage – make sure there’s at least some space on the floor!
And there’s plenty of room for fun when it comes to accessories. Mix lovely lighting with cosy cushions, quirky wall art, books and, most importantly, toys, to bring bags of personality and character to the space.
Get a child’s room right, and it will be both a haven and a pleasure for your child – and with a few amendments, it should be easy to adapt it for their changing needs as they get older.
